Diabetes nephropathy(DN)is a common microvascular complication in patients with diabetes mellitus(DM)，and it is also one of the main causes of end-stage renal disease.In high sugar environment，the interaction of advanced glycation end products(AGEs)and receptors(RAGE)produced by non-enzymatic glycation is one of the important reasons for the occurrence and progress of DN.It is found that different sites acting on AGEs-RAGE axis could improve DN symptoms.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)could improve DN by inhibiting non-enzymatic saccharification，reducing AGEs formation and inhibiting RAGE.AGEs-RAGE axis has the characteristics of incubating pathogens in DN.Based on the hotspot of experimental research in recent years，combined with AGEs-RAGE axis，we explain the pathogenesis hypothesis of “pathogen hidden in the pleurodiaphragmatic interspace” and the mechanism of TCM in the treatment of DN.