2-O-methyl PAF C-16 is a synthetic PAF analog which contains a methyl group, attached by an ether linkage, at the sn-2 position. Although the biological activities of 2-O-methyl PAF C-16 have not been well characterized, the C-18 analog has been shown to mediate a number of biological responses including decreasing plasma membrane fluidity and inhibiting tumor cell invasiveness in embryonic chick heart. In rat astrocytes, the C-18 analog causes the release of large quantities of NO by a pathway involving activation of NOS.