Prenatal cytokine exposure results in obesity and gender-specific programming

1 Göteborg Pediatric Growth Research Center, Institute for the Health of Women and Children and Departments of 2 Heart and Lung Diseases, 3 Histology, and 4 Pharmacology, and the 5 Wallenberg Laboratory, University of Göteborg, S-416 85 Goteborg, Sweden Prenatal events appear to program hormonal homeostasis, contributing to the development of somatic disorders at an adult age. The aim of this study was to examine whether maternal exposure to cytokines or to dexamethasone (Dxm) would be followed by hormonal consequences in the offspring at adult age. Pregnant rats were injected on days 8, 10, and 12 of gestation with either human interleukin-6 (IL-6) or tumor necrosis factor- (TNF- ) or with Dxm. Control dams were injected with vehicle. All exposed offspring developed increased body weight ( P