SREBF2 and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis: Furthermore, hyperinsulinemia (another characteristic usually found in NASH) and cholesterol accumulation was seen to upregulate sterol regulatory element-binding protein 2 (SREBP-2), leading to increased cholesterol synthesis and downregulation of mitochondrial β-oxidation, with the consequent accumulation of cholesterol and free fatty acids in the liver31.