The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is the main control center for the neurogenic regulation of blood pressure and is affected in fructose induced hypertension. The brain is by far the greatest consuming and energy demanding organ in the body which has the ability to metabolize and generate fructose but with consequences. Diets high in salt and fructose enter the body and eventually crosses the blood brain barrier where it exerts its effects on SNS signaling. The aim of this thesis is to determine the connection between fructose and hypertension along with the detrimental effects of fructose within the brain. Here we test the hypothesis that a high salt combined with a high fructose diet contributes to hypertension by increased cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) sodium concentrations which alter key neuronal signaling mechanisms
