Direct exposure to mild heat stress stimulates cell viability and heat shock protein expression in primary cultured broiler fibroblasts.

Fibroblasts produce collagen which is mainly essential for repairing tissue damage and maintaining the structural integrity of tissues. However, studies have given scientific evidence about harmful effect of thermal manipulation in fibroblast. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the mild heat stress temperature which increased broiler fibroblast viability. The experiment was divided into two groups (37 °C and 41 °C), and each group was divided into five subgroups based on different incubation times (6 h, 12 h, 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h) with three replications. In experimental group (41 °C), fibroblast viability increased significantly in 12 h but decreased in 72 h compared with control (37 °C). At 41 °C, live cell increased significantly in 24 h and then declined in 48 h as well as 72 h than control. Moreover, the S phase lengthened in shorter incubation time of experimental group compared with control. Protein and mRNA (HSP70, HSP60, and HSP47) expressions were significantly higher at 41 °C compared with 37 °C, but at the end of the experiment, HSP expression level was higher in both groups. Finally, this study recommended 41 °C as a mild heat stress temperature for increasing broiler fibroblast viability.