Figure 2.

Maternal dexamethasone (DEX) resulted in altered body weights, behavior, and stress response in prepubertal male and female offspring. (A) Neonatal body weights at postnatal day 0 (P0) were decreased in males, but not females, exposed to prenatal DEX. Over time (B) males and (C) females demonstrated decreased body weights from P7–P28. Open field assay revealed increased anxiety-like behavior in females as measured by (D) time spent in the center and (E) total distance traveled. No changes were seen in males. Social-like behavior was impaired in offspring. Male and female pups exhibited decreased (F) time spent with and (G) and frequency of visits to stimulus mouse. Acute stress response was decreased in (H) males and (I) females exposed to prenatal DEX immediately after 20 min of restraint as measured by plasma corticosterone. Prenatal DEX females further exhibited prolonged increases of corticosterone at the 80 min timepoint (60 min after removal from restraint), indicating delayed negative feedback to HPA axis stress response. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001, and ****p < 0.0001 DEX vs. Control.