Wistar rats of either sex, weighing 200–250 g, were obtained
from the Southern Laboratory Animal Facility, Prince of Songkla
University. They were housed in a temperature controlled room at
25±2 ◦C with a relative humidity at 50±5% and a 12 h light/12 h
dark cycle. They were fed with animal food pellets and water ad
libitum. The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee
for Experimental Animals, Prince of Songkla University.