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One of the purposes of education and active learning is to promote a more engaging classroom that is both interactive and productive for the students. This study seeks to look at this purpose in a very holistic way by combining academic achievement, students' attitudes, and motivation in determining how much active learning has impacted the education process. By incorporating the Mathematics Achievement Test, the attitudes test, the motivation survey, and finally a more statistically reliable MANOVA test, this study seeks to find out the effect of active learning in classrooms. 10th-grade students from Nurorda school in Nur-Sultan Kazakhstan took part in the research and were divided into two groups, the experimental and the control group. The students were initially informed about the study and a pre-test was administered to both groups; the control group was taught using the normal lecture-based method while the experimental group was taught using active learning educational platforms. The study was then conducted for a period of 6 weeks, quizzes were being administered through a whiteboard and multiple-choice questions and a final test given to students. After the study period ended, a posttest was the administered to both groups and the results of the tests gathered for analysis using the MANOVA technique to test for significant difference between the two methods being tested. The study suggests that students in the experimental group from the active learning class had a more productive education process in terms of achievement, however, there was no significant difference found in attitudes or motivation between them and the control group.

This article addresses significant issues in museum work, a key aspect of implementing Kazakhstan’s cultural policy. The study and promotion of history in museums are conducted through expositions and exhibitions. One of the primary tasks of modern museums is to emphasize the importance of tangible culture in the era of digital communication as a crucial resource for national competitiveness and global recognition. As cultural institutions implementing state strategic policies, museums present Kazakhstan’s historical and cultural values to the world through National Exhibitions of the country in particular, and of Turkic culture in general. This academic article discusses the conceptual framework for creating a historical exhibition covering periods from ancient times to the Kazakh Khanate, using unique exhibits from the National Museum’s collection. The methodology for creating a world-class national exhibition is based on civilizational principles. The authors aim to to present a comprehensive image of Kazakh history through museum exhibitions, reflecting the cultural code of the steppe civilization. The authors view museums as cultural, educational, scientific institutions that play a crucial role in popularizing and preserving national values. They provide scientifically grounded concepts for national exhibitions by addressing theoretical and methodological issues and methods of exhibition creation.

In the Republic of Kazakhstan, specialists in the field of Physical culture and Sports are faced with the problem of increasing interest in practicing folk national sports, based on the creation of both theoretical paradigms and a more evidence-based comprehensive practical database of research in scientific and methodological orientation. The research is aimed at creating a bank of models of bio pedagogical data for coaches and young people engaged in national wrestling, on the influence of Kazakh wrestling classes on the physical fitness of the muscles of the musculoskeletal system of its quality and the cardiac activity of highly qualified wrestlers in the preparatory period of the training process. The research was experimental, and data was analyzed using spss' correlation coefficient. The results revealed the positive effects of the quality of development management on the level of general and special physical fitness of highly qualified athletes of the national team who constantly train in different teams of the republic.

Summary: Right ventricular failure (RVF) is the leading cause of death in patients with pulmonary hypertension. Here, we present a protocol for pulmonary artery banding in mice to generate a model of pressure-overload-induced RVF. We describe steps for anesthesia of mice, endotracheal intubation, and pulmonary artery banding surgery. We then detail procedures for phenotyping and analysis. Our approach does not involve complete blockage of the pulmonary flow during clip placement and is, therefore, associated with low intraoperative mortality.For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Veith et al. (2020).1 : Publisher’s note: Undertaking any experimental protocol requires adherence to local institutional guidelines for laboratory safety and ethics.

The work deals with study of the Scythian animal style as an artistic phenomenon, which is one of the cardinal problems of Scythology, in particular the issue of the content of its artistic images. The semantics of the syncretic images of “griffin-hippocampus” and “horned fish” in the Scythian animal style of the Eastern European zone, covering the territories of the steppe, forest-steppe and North Caucasian local sub-variants of the Scythian animal style, is studied. The authors use the traditional iconographic method, formal-stylistic and structural-semiotic methods, as well as the methods of the general scientific hypothetical-deductive method with the general systemic-functional and synchronous-diachronic approaches to the consideration of historical facts. As a result of the study, a connection was established between four images with the ancient Greek mythical Typhon, two images with Dionysus and three images with Aegipanos (Pan). The next task is to study the semantics of the images of the bestiary of the Scythian animal style as the incarnations of mythological characters.

A historical and literature review providing insight into the development of adolescent medicine as a discipline in the Kyrgyz Republic was conducted. In addition, the paper presents the scientific research results considering how to solve urgent health problems in children and adolescents. The research was carried out by adolescent medicine specialists and postgraduate students over the years. A fundamental contribution to the field of adolescent medicine was made by Associate Professors B.M. Mamytov and R.A. Nedviga. In the post-world-war II period, the research was focused primarily on studying nurturing and educational environments, as well as assessing the health status of children and adolescents. However, in recent years, scientific work on providing students with proper nutrition in various educational institutions has become particularly relevant.

The matricellular protein osteopontin modulates cell–matrix interactions during tissue injury and healing. A complex multidomain structure of osteopontin enables it not only to bind diverse cell receptors but also to interact with various partners, including other extracellular matrix proteins, cytokines, and growth factors. Numerous studies have implicated osteopontin in the development and progression of myocardial remodeling in diverse cardiac diseases. Osteopontin influences myocardial remodeling by regulating extracellular matrix production, the activity of matrix metalloproteinases and various growth factors, inflammatory cell recruitment, myofibroblast differentiation, cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and myocardial vascularization. The exploitation of osteopontin loss- and gain-of-function approaches in rodent models provided an opportunity for assessment of the cell- and disease-specific contribution of osteopontin to myocardial remodeling. In this review, we summarize the recent knowledge on osteopontin regulation and its impact on various cardiac diseases, as well as delineate complex disease- and cell-specific roles of osteopontin in cardiac pathologies. We also discuss the current progress of therapeutics targeting osteopontin that may facilitate the development of a novel strategy for heart failure treatment.

In response to various stressors, cardiac chambers undergo structural remodeling. Long-term exposure of the right ventricle (RV) to pressure or volume overload leads to its maladaptive remodeling, associated with RV failure and increased mortality. While left ventricular adverse remodeling is well understood and therapeutic options are available or emerging, RV remodeling remains underexplored, and no specific therapies are currently available. Accumulating evidence implicates the role of mast cells in RV remodeling. Mast cells produce and release numerous inflammatory mediators, growth factors and proteases that can adversely affect cardiac cells, thus contributing to cardiac remodeling. Recent experimental findings suggest that mast cells might represent a potential therapeutic target. This review examines the role of mast cells in cardiac remodeling, with a specific focus on RV remodeling, and explores the potential efficacy of therapeutic interventions targeting mast cells to mitigate adverse RV remodeling.

At the current stage of Scythology, numerous studies of archaeological monuments have been carried out, their historical and cultural interpretation has been given; zones of move- ment and regions that did not have a permanent population were determined; potential initial foci of migration and innovation have been identified. A general methodological approach has been proposed for synchronizing Asian materials with Scythian chronology; the concept of the formation of nomadic cultures in the Asian mountain-steppe regions has been put forward, archaeological materials has been combined into cultural and chronological hori- zons. However, there are tendencies towards subjectivity of assessments and interpretations concerning the entire spectrum of Scythian issues. The absence of ethnic attribution of the concept of "Scythian" and generally accepted definitions of the concepts of "Scythian cul- ture" and "Scythian archaeological culture" are considered by the authors the reasons for the complexity of the ever expanding topical issues of the "Scythian question". The difficulty of their identifying is due to the intersection and blurring of the boundaries of the areas of distribution of monuments of the "culture of the Scythian type", equally belonging to the territory of the Northern Black Sea region and other territories of the "Scythian world". In the further development of the complex issues of the genesis of the Scythians and their culture, the authors consider inevitable and expedient rational and systemic integration and further development of various hypotheses put forward by the classics of archaeology, as well as their deepening at a new epistemological level of modern knowledge.

Background The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) may promote development of pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular (RV) failure. However, BDNF plasma levels were decreased in patients with left ventricular (LV) failure. Therefore, we investigated BDNF plasma levels in pulmonary hypertension patients and the role of BDNF in mouse models of pulmonary hypertension and isolated RV failure. Methods BDNF plasma levels were correlated to pulmonary hypertension in two patient cohorts, including either post- and pre-capillary pulmonary hypertension patients (first cohort) or only pre-capillary pulmonary hypertension patients (second cohort). In the second cohort, RV dimensions and load-independent function were determined by imaging and pressure–volume catheter measurements, respectively. For induction of isolated RV pressure overload, heterozygous Bdnf knockout (Bdnf+/−) mice were subjected to pulmonary arterial banding (PAB). For induction of pulmonary hypertension, mice with inducible knockout of BDNF in smooth muscle cells (Bdnf/Smmhc knockout) were exposed to chronic hypoxia. Results Plasma BDNF levels were decreased in patients with pulmonary hypertension. Following adjustment for covariables, BDNF levels negatively correlated in both cohorts with central venous pressure. In the second cohort, BDNF levels additionally negatively correlated with RV dilatation. In animal models, BDNF downregulation attenuated RV dilatation in Bdnf+/−mice after PAB or hypoxic Bdnf/Smmhc knockout mice, although they developed pulmonary hypertension to a similar extent. Conclusions Similar to LV failure, circulating levels of BDNF were decreased in pulmonary hypertension patients, and low BDNF levels were associated with right heart congestion. Decreased BDNF levels did not worsen RV dilatation in animal models, and thus, may be the consequence, but not the cause of RV dilatation.

ХІХ ғасырдың екінші жартысынан бастап ресейлік шығыстанушы ғалымдар тарапынан Орта Азиядағы түркі халықтарының тарихы мен әдебиетін зерттеу жұмыстары қарқынды жүрді. Жүзеге асырылған бірқатар терең зерттеулерде еуропалық ғалымдардың жұмыстары сынға алынды. ХХ ғасыр басында сол зерттеулердің нәтижесі ретінде іргелі ғылыми шығармалар жарық көріп, солардың қатарында академик В.В.Бартольдтың революцияға дейін жазған еңбектері енген көптомдық жүйелі жинағы шыққан болатын. Ғалымның ортағасырлық түркі халықтарының тарихы, этнографиясы, географиялық және әдебиет тарихына қатысты деректері бүгінгі күнге дейін өзінің өзектілігін жоғалтқан емес. Академик В.Бартольд өз еңбегін жазу барысында бірнеше ғалымға сілтеме жасайды. Олардың арасында сол уақыттағы жас ғалым, кейіннен түркі мұсылмандары арасынан шыққан көрнекті шығыстанушы Зәки Уәлиди бар еді. Бұл мақалада В.Бартольд пен Зәки Уәлиди арасындағы ғылыми шығармашылық байланыстар зерделенеді. Зерттеу нысаны ретінде В.Бартольдтың ІХ томдық шығармалар жинағының алғашқы бес томы қарастырылып, оларда қос ғалымның идеялық байланыстарыны барынша айқын көрініс тапқаны ашып көрсетіледі және Зәки Уәлиди шығарма- шылығының В.Бартольд зерттеулеріндегі маңызы атап көрсетіледі. Мақала авторлары өздерінің пікір-пайымдарын келтіре отырып, деректерге салыстырмалы талдау әдістерін қолданады. Талдау барысында дереккөздерге сілтеме жасалып, Зәки Уәлидидің библиографиялық және жеке мұрағаттық материалдары пайдаланылады.

Perception of a single chain of the Kazakh history as the history of their ethnic consciousness and self-awareness, and not as a history of the events or stories of artefacts presents the most important political task, which could be solved only through the metaphysical, philosophical synthesis of views from the primitive to modern times. The article discusses the history of the Kazakh philosophy from the inception of the native-nomadic worldview--Tengrianism. The article aims at justifying the need to examine the national philosophy to strengthen national independence. Research methodology is based on the dialectical and metaphysical approaches. As a result, modern Kazakh philosophy is a complex and highly organized spiritual energy structure. One should use consciously and effectively the diverse theoretical and ideological content of the Kazakh philosophy. In a metaphorical sense, there is a need to disclose the personal and moral sense of philosophy to the nation. In this case, empirical validity of each of its representatives will not lead to tragic consequences for the state independence. Research results indicate the importance of studying the Kazakh national philosophy in the context of globalization. Studying traditional, national philosophy provides the possibility to enhance national, cultural and historical identity, which in turn will enhance state independence.

In the development of spiritual and cultural heritage, the Kazakh renaissance, which began with the implementation of the "Cultural heritage" national project, has exposed the problems of self-identity, uniqueness, national and global relations. One reason is misunderstanding of nomadism as a kind of "anti-civilization", an embodiment of the destruction and ignorance forces. The aim of the article is to analyze the development of the Kazakh philosophy and its communication with the global philosophical knowledge. In the article, the Kazakh philosophy is regarded as a spiritual quintessence of nomadic culture with its characteristic type of ontology and anthropology. The whole problem of tolerance is built around the phenomenon of understanding and acceptance, the achievement of which requires personal dialogue. The Kazakh philosophy, by reconstructing the rich philosophical heritage of the Kazakh people, due to the free world philosophical hermeneutics heritage, determined the new opportunities and future directions of research. These include the philosophy of mutual understanding, the modern Turkic philosophy, planetary ethics, Islam phenomenology, Nomadic epistemology, the philosophy of Tengrianism, the Neofarabi studies, Kazakhstani Eurasianism. The findings showed that the active development of the global and national cultural and philosophical heritage is an essential tool for the growth of national consciousness; it creates the prerequisites for the rise of a new form of philosophy, which connects the global and national philosophical experience.

The purpose of the study is to analyze the influence of Shakarim--a follower of Abai--on Kazakh philosophy, his worldview and opinion of existential issues. The specifics of the problem under consideration required taking a synthetic approach to the use of various methods in this research. A synthesis of dialectical, metaphysical, rational, intuitive, analytical, phenomenological, historical, and logical methods showed the sources and the dynamic of formation and development of the Kazakh philosophical thought. The novelty of this study is that the main philosophical existential issues are investigated from the perspective of Eastern nomadic philosophy. The originality of the research lies in the fact that the Kazakh philosophical tradition is continuous, discrete, mosaic, autonomous, and original ad initium as a result. Dating back centuries, it returns to us in the form of texts carved in stone and preserved in the unique system of oral storage of information. It is appropriate to develop the national philosophical idea as an original system, like in the times of Shakarim. The national tradition of each culture is of great international interest. This study presents a concept of a harmonious individual according to Shakarim and substantiates the importance of developing national philosophy as an equal member of international dialog.

Understanding the genetic diversity and structure of domesticated horse (Equus caballus) populations is critical for long-term herd management and breeding programs. This study examines 435 horses from Kazakhstan, covering seven groups in three geographic areas using 11 STR markers. Identified are 136 alleles, with the mean number of alleles per locus ranging from 9 to 19. VHL20 is the most variable locus across groups, while loci HTG4, AHT4, AHT5, HTG7, and HMS3 are variable in most populations. The locus AHT5 in the Emba population shows the highest frequency of rare alleles, while the lowest frequency, 0.005, is observed in the Kulandy population. All loci were highly informative for the Kazakhstani populations of E. caballus, with PIC values higher than 0.5. Pairwise variations in Wright’s FST distances show that the examined varieties have little genetic differentiation (0.05%), indicating a high degree of admixture and a continuing lineage sorting process. Phylogenetic and population structure analyses reveal three major clusters of Kazakh horses, representing (I) the Uralsk population of the Kushum breed and the monophyly of two groups: (II) the Kozhamberdy population of the Mugalzhar breed, and (III) the Mugalzhar–Kushum breed populations. Kazakhstani horse populations, while being regionally isolated, were recently in contact with each other.

The use of rubber-polymer composites ELTC (End of Life Tire Compound) for bitumen modification was investigated. ELTC contains not only devulcanized rubber from used car tires, but also used plastics (polymers) such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). ELTC is obtained using the method of rubber devulcanization using a selective catalyst that allows selectively decomposing sulfide bonds at relatively low temperatures, while preserving most of the macromolecular chains. The characteristics of the asphalt binder improved after the modification of ELTC. After modification, the base asphalt binder became more homogeneous, and the thermal stability of the base asphalt binder increased. ELTC is evenly distributed, the compatibility between the components of the modified asphalt binder is good, which proves the uniformity of the modified asphalt binders. The results show that all ELTC formulations improve the softening temperature and increase their resistance to plastic deformation in the summer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Obesity and pulmonary hypertension (PH) share common characteristics, such as augmented inflammation and oxidative stress. However, the exact role of obesity in the pathology of PH is largely uninvestigated. Therefore, we have hypothesized that in the context of obesity the gender difference may have influence on development of PH in animal models of this disease. Methods Animal experiments were conducted in monocrotaline (MCT) and chronic hypoxia (HOX) models of PH. Lean and obese Zucker rats or B6 mice of both genders were used for MCT or HOX models, respectively. Echocardiography, hemodynamic measurements, histology and immuno-histochemistry were performed to analyze various parameters, such as right ventricular function and hypertrophy, hemodynamics, pulmonary vascular remodeling and lung inflammation. Results Both lean and obese male and female Zucker rats developed PH after a single MCT injection. However, negligible differences were seen between lean and obese male rats in terms of PH severity at the end stage of disease. Conversely, a more prominent and severe PH was observed in obese female rats compared to their lean counterparts. In contrast, HOX induced PH in lean and obese, male and female mice did not show any apparent differences. Conclusion Gender influences PH severity in obese MCT-injected rats. It is also an important factor associated with altered inflammation. However, further research is necessary to investigate and reveal the underlying mechanisms.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a pathological condition with multifactorial etiology, which is characterized by elevated pulmonary arterial pressure and pulmonary vascular remodeling. The underlying pathogenetic mechanisms remain poorly understood. Accumulating clinical evidence suggests that circulating osteopontin may serve as a biomarker of PH progression, severity, and prognosis, as well as an indicator of maladaptive right ventricular remodeling and dysfunction. Moreover, preclinical studies in rodent models have implicated osteopontin in PH pathogenesis. Osteopontin modulates a plethora of cellular processes within the pulmonary vasculature, including cell proliferation, migration, apoptosis, extracellular matrix synthesis, and inflammation via binding to various receptors such as integrins and CD44. In this article, we provide a comprehensive overview of the current understanding of osteopontin regulation and its impact on pulmonary vascular remodeling, as well as consider research issues required for the development of therapeutics targeting osteopontin as a potential strategy for the management of PH.

Background: Acute hypoxia exposure is associated with an elevation of pulmonary artery pressure (PAP), resulting in an increased hemodynamic load on the right ventricle (RV). In addition, hypoxia may exert direct effects on the RV. However, the RV responses to such challenges are not fully characterized. The aim of this systematic review was to describe the effects of acute hypoxia on the RV in healthy lowland adults.Methods: We systematically reviewed PubMed and Web of Science and article references from 2005 until May 2021 for prospective studies evaluating echocardiographic RV function and morphology in healthy lowland adults at sea level and upon exposure to simulated altitude or high-altitude.Results: We included 37 studies in this systematic review, 12 of which used simulated altitude and 25 were conducted in high-altitude field conditions. Eligible studies reported at least one of the RV variables, which were all based on transthoracic echocardiography assessing RV systolic and diastolic function and RV morphology. The design of these studies significantly differed in terms of mode of ascent to high-altitude, altitude level, duration of high-altitude stay, and timing of measurements. In the majority of the studies, echocardiographic examinations were performed within the first 10 days of high-altitude induction. Studies also differed widely by selectively reporting only a part of multiple RV parameters. Despite consistent increase in PAP documented in all studies, reports on the changes of RV function and morphology greatly differed between studies.Conclusion: This systematic review revealed that the study reports on the effects of acute hypoxia on the RV are controversial and inconclusive. This may be the result of significantly different study designs, non-compliance with international guidelines on RV function assessment and limited statistical power due to small sample sizes. Moreover, the potential impact of other factors such as gender, age, ethnicity, physical activity, mode of ascent and environmental factors such as temperature and humidity on RV responses to hypoxia remained unexplored. Thus, this comprehensive overview will promote reproducible research with improved study designs and methods for the future large-scale prospective studies, which eventually may provide important insights into the RV response to acute hypoxia exposure.

This paper discusses the technological and design features of houses built from local clay materials, in particular, those built from a wooden frame filled with clay materials called “synch” and from adobe or clay materials of irregular shape “pakhsa”. Such buildings built from local materials, as a rule, related to buildings with walls made of low-strength materials, were mostly erected without observing technological, anti-seismic measures and are characterized as the most vulnerable in seismic terms. A comparative analysis of the technology of erection by the owners themselves with some violations and the technology of erection proposed by us in compliance with the rules during the construction process was carried out. In houses built using the “synch” technology, foam balls (expanded polystyrene) were used as a filler to reduce the mass of clay, the optimal ratio of clay and expanded polystyrene was revealed, in the course of research we received a patent for a modified clay material with expanded polystyrene. And also, the results of testing models of houses built from a wooden frame filled with clay materials (synch) and from clay materials using the “pakhsa” technologies are given.

This article discusses the classification of hоuses built of local materials, taking into account the regional specifics of the Kyrgyz Republic and based on the analysis and generalization of the practice in thе Central Asian rеgion. Experimental and theoretical studies were conducted on the classified types, based on the results of which a rating was made on the economic component, construction technology and seismic resistance.

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The role of microparticles (MPs) and cold in high altitude pulmonary hypertension (HAPH) remains unexplored. We investigated the impact of long-term cold exposure on the pulmonary circulation in lowlanders and high-altitude natives and the role of MPs. Pulmonary hemodynamics were evaluated using Doppler echocardiography at the end of the colder and warmer seasons. We further examined the miRNA content of MPs isolated from the study participants and studied their effects on human pulmonary artery smooth muscle (hPASMCs) and endothelial cells (hPAECs). Long-term exposure to cold environment was associated with an enhanced pulmonary artery pressure in highlanders. Plasma levels of CD62E-positive and CD68-positive MPs increased in response to cold in lowlanders and HAPH highlanders. The miRNA-210 expression contained in MPs differentially changed in response to cold in lowlanders and highlanders. MPs isolated from lowlanders and highlanders increased proliferation and reduced apoptosis of hPASMCs. Further, MPs isolated from warm-exposed HAPH highlanders and cold-exposed highlanders exerted the most pronounced effects on VEGF expression in hPAECs. We demonstrated that prolonged exposure to cold is associated with elevated pulmonary artery pressures, which are most pronounced in high-altitude residents. Further, the numbers of circulating MPs are differentially increased in lowlanders and HAPH highlanders during the colder season.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a severe respiratory disease characterized by pulmonary artery remodeling. RV dysfunction and dysregulated circulating metabolomics are associated with adverse outcomes in pulmonary arterial hypertension. We investigated effects of tadalafil and macitentan alone or in combination on the RV and plasma metabolomics in SuHx and PAB models. For SuHx model, rats were injected with SU5416 and exposed to hypoxia for three weeks and then were returned to normoxia and treated with either tadalafil (10 mg/kg in chow) or macitentan (10 mg/kg in chow) or their combination (both 10 mg/kg in chow) for two weeks. For PAB model, rats were subjected to either sham or PAB surgery for three weeks and treated with above-mentioned drugs from week 1 to week 3. Following terminal echocardiographic and hemodynamic measurements, tissue samples were collected for metabolomic, histological and gene expression analysis. Both SuHx and PAB rats developed RV remodeling/dysfunction with severe and mild plasma metabolomic alterations, respectively. In SuHx rats, tadalafil and macitentan alone or in combination improved RV remodeling/function with the effects of macitentan and combination therapy being superior to tadalafil. All therapies similarly attenuated SuHx-induced changes in plasma metabolomics. In PAB rats, only macitentan improved RV remodeling/function, while only tadalafil attenuated PAB-induced changes in plasma metabolomics.

High altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) is a relatively rare form of high altitude illness. However, without immediate treatment, HAPE is fatal. Furthermore, HAPE is characterized by non-specific signs and symptoms, and many clinical conditions may mimic it. In the present article, we report a case of HAPE misdiagnosed as pneumonia. We also discuss the issues of prevention and early treatment options in this illness.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a group of diseases characterized by increased pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR). Regardless of its cause, PH leads to right ventricular failure and premature death. Recent advances in the diagnosis and treatment of PH have prompted the elaboration of new guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of PH. This paper provides a brief overview of major achievements in diagnostic and treatment approaches in patients PH.

Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate preservation of biomolecular structures, particularly DNA, in freeze-dried fibroblasts, after loading with trehalose via freezing-induced uptake. Cells were freeze-dried with trehalose alone or in a mixture of albumin and trehalose. Albumin was added to increase the glass transition temperature and storage stability. No viable cells were recovered after freeze-drying and rehydration. FTIR studies showed that membrane phase behavior of freeze-dried cells resembles that of fresh cells. However, one day after rehydration membrane phase separation was observed, irrespective of the presence or absence of trehalose during freeze-drying. Freeze-drying did not affect the overall protein secondary structure. Analysis of DNA damage via single cell gel electrophoresis (‘comet assay’) showed that DNA damage progressively increased with storage duration and temperature. DNA damage was prevented during storage at 4 °C. It is shown that trehalose reduces DNA damage during storage, whereas addition of albumin did not seem to have an additional protective effect on storage stability (i.e. DNA integrity) despite the fact that albumin increased the glass transition temperature. Taken together, DNA in freeze-dried somatic cells can be preserved using trehalose as protectant and storage at or below 4 °C.