Isoflurane preconditioning involves upregulation of molecular chaperone genes

► Isoflurane binding and dissociation causes a persistent protein conformational change. ► Anesthetic preconditioning shows an early and delayed phase. ► Isoflurane exposure upregulates 45 heat shock genes through both phases. ► Seventeen heat shock genes are specifically upregulated during the early phase. ► Nine heat shock genes exhibit a delayed upregulation after isoflurane exposure.