Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) and its Applications in Veterinary Sciences: An Overview

Background: Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) is one of the methods of assisted reproductive technology that aims to successfully treat male factor infertility in humans and domestic animals. The technique involves mechanically injecting a single sperm or sperm nucleus with the help of a micromanipulator into the cytoplasm of a mature metaphase II oocyte. Results: In domestic animals, ICSI has been used to study ways to surmount problems that are faced during in vitro fertilization such as non-motile sperm, inability of spermatozoon to penetrate oocyte, capacitation etc. Moreover, ICSI technique can also be applied to preserve biodiversity and to produce transgenic animals. Conclusion: Several modifications have been done in conventional ICSI so as to enhance success rate, however, there are still number of problems regarding practical use of ICSI in domestic animals. This study aims to review the historical development, its applications and research needs for its improvement.