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bioRxiv · 10.64898/2026.02.25.706709

Maternal preconception calorie restriction reprograms coping strategies, socio-sexual behaviour, and endocrine function in adult rat offspring

Zelko, M. D.·Hazi, A.·Nasser, H.·Levay, E. A.·Corrone, M.·Penman, J.·Johns, T. G.·Govic, A.
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Abstract

Maternal nutrition before conception is recognised as a determinant of offspring development; however, the behavioural and neuroendocrine consequences of preconception calorie restriction (CR) remain poorly understood. This study isolated the preconception window to examine how different CR patterns, stable (25% reduction; CR-25%), unpredictable deprivation (CR-A), and variable (25-75% fluctuation; CR-V), affect adult offspring outcomes. Male and female progeny from preconception CR female Wistar rats were assessed across domains sensitive to early-life programming, including anxiety- and depression-like behaviour, coping style, socio-sexual behaviour, and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis activity. Preconception CR produced sex- and diet-specific effects. Females exhibited transient reductions in exploratory behaviour and more active coping styles, particularly CR-25% and CR-V animals. In males, all CR regimens enhanced copulatory behaviour and reduced aggression toward females. Endocrine profiling revealed divergent HPG responses: CR-A males showed elevated basal faecal testosterone metabolites (fTM) but reduced basal serum testosterone, whereas CR-V males exhibited blunted androgenic reactivity post-social provocation. These findings demonstrate that maternal preconception CR can program male offspring toward a prosocial, sexually motivated phenotype and female offspring toward an enhanced coping style, underscoring this period as a sensitive window for shaping behavioural and endocrine trajectories.

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Zelko, M. D., Hazi, A., Nasser, H., Levay, E. A., Corrone, M., Penman, J., Johns, T. G., Govic, A.. 2026-02-27. Maternal preconception calorie restriction reprograms coping strategies, socio-sexual behaviour, and endocrine function in adult rat offspring. https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.02.25.706709

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