Effects of diazinon on mast cell activation

Diazinon is one of the organophosphorus (OP) insecticides and heavily used not only in agriculture, but also for home gardening and indoor pest control in Japan. Diazinon has been reported to increase TNF-alpha production in rat serum and brain, suggesting that diazinon can modify the immune response. Although various alternative molecular targets and mechanisms of OP insecticides have been reported, less is known about the target cells or target molecules of diazinon to affect the immune system. In this study, we investigated the effects of diazinon on mast cell functions, such as degranulation and cytokine production.