Maternal high fat diet programs hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal function in adult rat offspring.

•Maternal HFD upregulates the basal corticosterone pulse frequence and pulse amplitude in offspring.•Maternal HFD exposure influences the corticosterone responses in stressor-specific manner.•Maternal HFD markedly attenuates the habituation of HPA responses to repeated restraint stress.•Maternal HFD consumption significantly increases basal CRF mRNA expression in the PVN.•The amygdala plays a pivotal role in maternal HFD-induced sensitization of the HPA response to stress.