Abstract Obesity represents a global health and economic burden, affecting millions of individuals worldwide. This pathology is associated with a chronic low‑grade inflammatory state that is partially responsible for the development of other cardiometabolic complications. Clinical studies have reported an association between high circulating levels of lipocalin‑2 (Lcn2) and increased body weight. Additionally, there is scientific evidence demonstrating the impact of maternal obesity on fetal programming. The latter and the fact that the authors previously found that Lcn2 and its receptor (24p3R) are expressed in the gonads of wild‑type rats, led to the analysis of their mRNA profile and cellular localization in gonads collected from the offspring of obese rats at 21 days postconception (dpc), and 0, 2, 4, 6, 12, 20 and 30 days postnatal (dpn) in the present study. Semi‑quantitative PCR revealed a statistically significant downregulation of Lcn2 and 24p3R mRNA at 21 dpc in the ovaries (P