The hypothalamic POMC mRNA expression is upregulated in prenatally undernourished male rat offspring under high-fat diet.

•HF diet exacerbates the body weight gain of prenatally undernourished (FR30) rat.•The endocrine disorders of adult FR30 rat are not exacerbated by postnatal HF diet.•Microarray analysis showed very few gene expression changes in FR30 rat hypothalamus.•The POMC mRNA expression is specifically upregulated in FR30 rat under HF diet.•The POMC gene expression is a key target of long-term developmental programming.