HSP and HSF gene expression by RT-qPCR in the liver tissue after acute heat exposure at day 35 of early and acute heat exposed broilers (fold change). Data were normalized by GAPDH (target gene expression/GAPDH gene expression) and calculated by fold change. Abbreviations: C, control group that raised optimum temperature without any heat exposure; CH, acute heat exposure group that exposed on day 35 for 5 h; HH, early heat exposure group that exposed both on day 5 for 24 h and day 35 for 5 h; HSP, heat shock protein; HSF, heat shock factor; GAPDH, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. Graph and error bar are shown as mean and SEM, respectively. a,bSignificant differences (P < 0.05) are indicated by different letters.