Prenatal Stress Differentially Shapes Adult Behavior in Male and Female Offspring

Abstract

BackgroundPrenatal stress (PNS) is a well-established risk factor for neuropsychiatric vulnerability, yet its sex-specific behavioral consequences remain incompletely defined. Because males and females follow distinct neurodevelopmental trajectories, clarifying how early-life stress differentially shapes behavior is essential for developing targeted interventions. However, few preclinical studies directly compare male and female offspring within the same experimental framework, limiting the ability to identify true sex-dependent effects. MethodsUsing a validated mouse model of gestational restraint stress, we conducted a comprehensive, within-study assessment of sex-dependent behavioral outcomes in adult offspring. Behavioral domains included locomotor activity, anxiety-like behavior, sociability, fear learning and extinction, recognition memory, and alcohol-related responses (ethanol preference and behavioral sensitivity), all measured using identical paradigms across sexes. ResultsPNS broadly disrupted behavior and cognition in both sexes, increasing locomotor activity and anxiety-like behavior, impairing fear extinction and recognition memory, and altering behavioral sensitivity to ethanols sedative effects. Direct comparison revealed distinct sex-dependent vulnerabilities: males showed reduced social interaction, whereas females exhibited numerically greater impairment in fear extinction and a significantly stronger ethanol preference. Baseline fear responses, total fluid intake, and sucrose consumption were unaffected. ConclusionPrenatal stress programs neurobehavioral trajectories in a sex-dependent manner, conferring vulnerability to anxiety-related behavior, cognitive disruption, and alcohol use. By directly comparing males and females within the same experimental design, this study provides one of the most integrated evaluations of sex-specific PNS outcomes to date and offers a robust framework for investigating the biological mechanisms underlying divergent pathways to stress-related psychopathology.