Fig. 1.

Slug deficiency repairs regenerative capacity of SCs during serial muscle damage. a Representative flow cytometric analysis of the frequency of SCs (CD45⁻/CD11b⁻/CD31⁻/Sca1⁻/Integrin-α7⁺/CD34⁺) subpopulation in Slug^+/+ and Slug^−/− mice. b Yield of SCs per milligram (mg) of muscle from Slug^+/+ and Slug^−/− mice (n = 6 mice per group). *p < 0.05 by student’s t-test. c Representative IHC images of Pax7⁺ SCs within the intact tibialis anterior (TA) muscles of Slug^+/+ and Slug^−/− mice. DAPI was used as nuclear counterstaining. Scale bar, 100 μm. d Quantification of Pax7⁺ SC numbers in c. *p < 0.05 by student’s t-test. e H&E staining of the intact and injured TA muscles in Slug^+/+ and Slug^−/− mice (n = 5 mice per group). For single injury, TA muscles were harvested at day 10 after BaCl₂ injection. For double injury, mice were recovered for 1 month after the first BaCl₂ injection at TA muscles. A second BaCl₂ injection was administered thereafter. TA muscles were harvested 10 days after the second BaCl₂ injection. Scale bar, 100 μm. f Quantification of the mean myofiber cross-sectional area (CSA, μm²) of the intact and BaCl₂-injured TA muscles of Slug^+/+ and Slug^−/− mice. g Ratio of myofiber CSA in the intact and BaCl₂-injured TA muscles between Slug^+/+ and Slug^−/− mice. **p < 0.01 by student’s t-test (n.s., not significant). All these experiments were independently repeated three times with similar results. Data are presented as mean ± SEM. Also see Supplementary Fig. 1. Source data are provided as a Source Data file