Introduction: Infertility is one of the important problems that many people in society deal with today, estimates indicate that 10 to 15 percent face this challenge at some point in their lives. Fertility is achieved today by the manipulation of egg and sperm outside the body in a laboratory environment. One of the methods that can accomplish this is intracytoplasmic injection of the egg, which is called ICSI for short. Several factors affect the quality of this treatment, such as Maternal and Paternal Age, Oocyte and Sperm Quality, Duration of Infertility, Hormonal Levels, Embryo Quality and Transfer, Procedural Factors ICSI Technique, Incubation Time and Laboratory Condition, the things that are discussed during ICSI treatment is the substance used to immobilize sperm before ICSI.
Methods: Articles were extracted without time limit from Web of Science, PubMed, Google Scholar, SID, Magiran databases. The inclusion criteria included studies that were in line with the research objective.
Results: Sperm immobilization is necessary to facilitate the injection process during ICSI. Different methods are used. Polyvinyl pyrrolidone is one of the most common chemical agents for sperm stabilization in ICSI. This creates a viscous solution that slows sperm movement and facilitates easier micromanipulation. The typical concentration used is around 7-10% PVP. In addition to these studies, hyaluronate, a natural substance in the genital tract, is often included in PVP solutions. Its presence can increase sperm quality by promoting better interaction with the egg during fertilization. However, the use of PVP affects sperm and embryos with important secondary effects such as induction of immature acrosome reaction, and nuclear damage. While it has been said that sodium hyaluronate is generally well tolerated; There are some considerations with using this substance, including concerns about fetal development, variability in sperm response and transport problems, and allergic reactions.
Conclusion: While PVP and sodium hyaluronate are valuable tools in ICSI for sperm stabilization, their use is associated with significant risks that can negatively affect fertilization rate and embryo quality. As a result, continuous research on alternative methods and formulations is necessary to increase the safety and efficacy of assisted reproductive technologies.