Dr. Gilbert Ling discovered that the water in the cells is bound by unfolded protein chains in a type of 'gel'. Prof. Gerald Pollack termed this 'The 4-th State of Water' and wrote a book with this title. Water in this state is negatively charged, it is not anymore H2O, due to the lack of protons. So the cell content is negatively charged and the outside of the cell is therefore proton-rich and positively charged. The cell wall (as an insulating dielectric) is just between these two opposite charges, that is how the 'cell wall potential' arises. But it is NOT the bilipid layer that is causing it, it just happens to be at the border of the cell's gel-like content. Poking holes into the cell wall does not cause sodium to flood the cell and potassium to escape it. Dr. Ling showed in many experiments that it is the cell's protein and specifically the negatively charged carboxyl end-groups of the protein chains, which adsorb preferentially potassium over sodium ions!
So if we increase the sodium content of the surrounding, I wonder what happens to the cell content or outside of it?
I noticed that if I have a salty meal, then I gain up to 1.5 kg, which I then lose in a matter of a couple of days. The body keeps its homeostasis, it want to keep the sodium content in the blood constant. Therefore, it pushes sodium into the tissue, together with water, causing slight swelling. At least that is how I understand it. By drinking lots of water, the kidneys excrete the excess sodium over time and with it the stored water in the tissue. You loose the weight that was caused by salt-induced water retention.
What would happen in the nasal passage, in the mucus membrane? It would retain more water, I think. I don't think that it affects the cells much. If I have time, I can try to find experimental results that Dr. Ling did, I have his book (his introductory book). Also I can look into Prof. Pollack's books, which I also have.
Another thing can happen to the virus particles themselves:
The virus also has water and sodium, probably in the isotonic (0.9%) concentration. If the virus is exposed to higher concentration of sodium, due to osmosis, the water in the virus capsule would be drawn away and more sodium would enter the virus particle. Maybe that alone could deactivate the virus. I read a scientific study of sodium treated mask material and there it was pointed out that the sodium (but in extreme high concentration, essentially pure salt!) would destroy the virus due to osmosis, it would simply dry out the virus, it probably would just disintegrate.
Universal and reusable virus deactivation system for respiratory protection - Scientific Reports
Aerosolized pathogens are a leading cause of respiratory infection and transmission. Currently used protective measures pose potential risk of primary/secondary infection and transmission. Here, we report the development of a universal, reusable virus deactivation system by functionalization of...
www.nature.com
