GDNF and Stroke: Surprisingly, mRNAs encoding for several neurotrophic and growth factors including glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), neurturin (NRTN), mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor (MANF), transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFβ1), fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) and GDNF family receptor alpha 1 (GFRα1) were significantly upregulated in the lesioned striatum after stroke in the ad libitum rats but not in the fasted rats (Fig 2C).