For assessment of neurological function, the Basso–Beattie–Bresnahan (BBB) scale was used for open field motor testing in all rat groups. The BBB scale is a 21-point scale ranging from 0 to 21 (Barros Filho and Molina, 2008), rating locomotion on aspects of hind limb function such as weight support, stepping ability, coordination, and toe clearance (Byrnes et al., 2010). All functional scores were obtained on Days 1, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49, and 56 by two individuals who were blinded to treatment. The final score of each animal was the mean value of both examiners (Hosseini et al., 2015).