Objective To investigate the exact protocol eliciting the hippocampal CA1 long-term depression (LTD) of rats in vivo and the effect of amyloid β-protein (Aβ) on the LTD.Method By applying test stimulation to Schaffer collateral in hippocampal CA1 region in rats,recorded the in vivo field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (fEPSPs) ;further,observed the induction of LTD with different low frequency stimulation (LFS) and investigated the effect of Aβ25-35 on the LTD.Results Prolonged LFS (1,5 and 10 Hz) but not paired-pulse stimulus (PPS) effectively elicited the LTD in the hippocampal CA1 region,with significantly decreased amplitude of fEPSPs after LFS ; 1 Hz 900 pulses group induced a stronger LTD,being (63.7 ± 3.8) ％ at 120 min post-LFS,lower (P ＜ 0.05) than (75.1 ± 3.2) ％ in 600 pulses group ; different frequencies (1,5 and 10 Hz) of LFS with same pulses induced similar degree of LTD,the amplitude of fEPSPs were (63.7 ± 3.8) ％,(61.2 ± 3.6) ％ and (59.8 ± 3.9) ％ respectively,without significant differences between any two groups (P ＞ 0.05) ; after applying 12.5 nmol and 25 nmol Aβ25-35,the amplitude of fEPSPs decreased to (63.2 ± 3.8) ％ and (46.8 ± 3.9) ％,respectively,and lower and than that in control ((73.9 ± 3.0) ％,P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion Prolonged LFS effectively induced in vivo hippocampal LTD of rats,which provides an important electrophysiological protocol for the study of synaptic plasticity; Aβ25-35 injection dont affect the baseline synaptic transmission,but dose-dependently enhance the in vivo hippocampal LTD of rats,indicating that Aβ-induced LTD facilitation may be involved the early impairment of learning and memory in Alzheimer's disease.