Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) was shown to
have therapeutic potential for some neurological and psychiatric
disorders. Previous studies reported that low-frequency rTMS
(≤1 Hz) affected synaptic plasticity in rats, however, there were
few investigations to examine the possible effects of rTMS on
structural synaptic plasticity changes in rats, which included the
effects on synaptic morphology in the hippocampus, synaptic
protein markers and Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein II
(CaMKII). Sprague-Dawley rats were subject to 500 pulses of
0.5 Hz rTMS for 15 days, or sham stimulation. After last
stimulation, transmission electron microscope (TEM) and
real-time PCR were used to determine the effects of rTMS on
synaptic plasticity. Results showed that rTMS could cause the
change of structural synaptic plasticity, increase the expression of
synaptic protein markers: synaptophysin (SYN) and increase the
expression of CaMKII, relative to normal rats. suggesting
a modulatory effect of chronic rTMS on synaptic plasticity that
may be attributed to the increased expression of CaMKII in rats.