ABSTRACT
Pesticides are introduced into the environment in a variety of ways and constitute a wide group of environmental pollutants. To evaluate the attenuating effects of sesame oil on the toxicity of diazinon (DZN), male Wistar rats were exposed to DZN and/or sesame oil by gavage at different dosages for 8 weeks. DZN in a concentration of 30 mg/kg caused an increase in the number of white blood cell (WBCs), and the combination of DZN and sesame oil raised the number of platelets; the number of red blood cells, however, did not change. In addition, DZN caused a drastic decrease in the sperm count in a dose-dependent manner and in a concentration of 50 mg/kg, the sperm count decreased by more than 50%, but the combination of sesame oil in a dose of 4 ml/kg with DZN reversed the effect of this pesticide. The evidence presented here suggests that in addition to antioxidants, such as olive oil, intermittent exposure with sufficient intervals can decrease the toxicity of pesticides.