CHRONIC IRON OVERLOAD ALTERS CORONARY VASCULAR REACTIVITY IN RATS. Bertoli, S.R.1,2; Dos Santos, L.1 1Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences. Federal University of Espírito Santo- Vitória/ES; 2New Millennium College - Vila Velha/ES.

Although it is an essential element for homeostasis, iron in excess can induce damage to various organs and systems, including the cardiovascular system. Despite the description of cardiomyopathy in these situations, there is no information about the consequences on the coronary bed. In the present study, we evaluated whether chronic iron overload in rats impairs the “in vitro” reactivity of the coronary artery.