The effects of prenatal dexamethasone exposure and fructose challenge on pituitary-adrenocortical activity and anxiety-like behavior in female offspring

•Fetal dexamethasone exposure increase ACTH level in adult female rat offspring.•Smaller adrenals produced aldosterone and corticosterone at control level.•Anxiety-like behavior is demonstrated in dexamethasone exposed offspring.•Applied postnatal fructose concentration did not provoke any effects.•Fructose did not further potentiate the effects of dexamethasone programming.