Early heat exposure effect on the heat shock proteins in broilers under acute heat stress

The effects of early heat conditioning on the acute heat stress response in broilers were investigated via the growth performance, dopamine, serotonin, and corticosterone and the expression of heat shock proteins (HSP) and heat shock factors. One-day old chicks (n = 144) were divided into 3 groups in a 35d experiment (48 chicks per each group). Group 1 (C) was treated with an optimum temperature, group 2 (CH) was treated with 40 degrees C +/- 1 degrees C on day 35 (5 h), and group 3 (HH) was treated with 40 degrees C +/- 1 degrees C on day 5 (24 h) and day 35 (5 h). On day 7, the body weight gain was lower (P < 0.05) in HH than in C and CH. On day 35, the heat-treated groups (CH and HH) had lower weight gains than the C group (P < 0.05), whereas the feed conversion ratio was lower in HH (P < 0.05). Serum corticosterone was higher in CH than in C, but HH and C did not differ (P < 0.05). Liver HSP70 protein expression was higher in CH than HH and C (P < 0.05), which did not differ, and HSP40 protein expression was higher in CH than C (P < 0.05). These results suggest that early heat conditioning may reduce acute heat stress on broiler.