[1][2][3] The term "scavenger endothelial cell", first appearing in the scientific literature in 1999,[4] was coined to distinguish a highly specialized subclass of endothelium in vertebrates that was observed to express a remarkably avid blood clearance activity.
Recently it was shown that the endothelial cells in the caudal vein plexus of the embryonic zebrafish, also exhibit characteristic scavenger functions.
These SECs, but not macrophages, avidly and preferentially clear colloidal waste and viral particles,[7] as well as endogenous exosomes that are specifically internalized in a dynamin- and scavenger receptor dependent pathway to be targeted to lysosomes for degradation.
[9] Colloidal vital dyes, such as ammonia carmine and trypan blue, are rapidly and preferentially taken up by insect pericardial and garland nephrocytes.
[10] Nephrocytes, but not hemocytes of the common blow fly (Calliphora) avidly endocytose and degrade ligands that are also recognized by stabilin-2 of mammalian scavenger endothelial cells.